Big Island Hawaii. Part 40. Puna Mango Grove.

January 2010. Music by Les Baxter. State Highway 137. Government Beach Road. Coqui Frog. Coquí is the common name for several species of small frogs endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico, onomatopoeically named for the loud sound (sometimes reaching as high as 100 dB) the males make at night, even though only two species make the sound “coqui”, the common coqui and the mountain coqui. The Common Coquí is the unofficial symbol of Puerto Rico. (wikipedia) Why Are Coqui Frogs a Problem in Hawai’i? The coqui frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui Thomas (Anura: Leptodactylidae), was accidentally introduced into Hawai’i from Puerto Rico in about 1988. Aside from being a major noise nuisance, the frogs pose a threat to Hawai’is island ecosystem. Coqui frogs have a voracious appetite that puts Hawai’is unique insects and spiders at risk. They can also compete with endemic birds and other native fauna that rely on insects for food. The frogs are quite adaptable to the different ecological zones and elevations in the state and have been found from sea level to 4000 feet elevation (at sites in Volcano on Hawai’i). Scientists are also concerned that an established coqui frog population may serve as a readily available food source if (or when) brown tree snakes are accidentally introduced in Hawai’i. Coqui populations have exploded in the last 15 years from presumably a single infestation to over 200 on the Big Island alone. They are also present on Maui (40 or more infestations), O`ahu …

Related posts:

1. Big Island Hawaii. Part 42. Around Puna.
2. I want to move to the Big Island of Hawaii. I will be living in Puna, where can I find employment?
3. Kehena Black Sand Beach, Puna, Hawaii’s Big Island
4. Hawaii Volcano Tours: How To See Rare Species That Exist Nowhere Else On Earth
5. Is Waikiki Hawaii on the Big Island named Hawaii in the city of Honolulu?